


i want to believe

by hoars



Category: SHINee, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alien Conspiracies, Alternate Universe - High School, Astrology, Fluff, Humor, M/M, No Spoilers, Pop Culture, clubs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2015-12-18
Packaged: 2018-05-07 11:45:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5455370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoars/pseuds/hoars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Taehyung starts an astronomy club.</p>
            </blockquote>





	i want to believe

Astronomy Club meets after school in Mr. Lee’s classroom.

It’s a private school, and extracurricular activities are a requirement for staff and students alike. Mr. Lee is new to the school, and Kim Taehyung is new to the school. They create the club out of self preservation. It only makes sense.

(Taehyung maybe has a crush on Mr. Lee. Who doesn’t? As Sunyoung said, “Mr Lee is husband material!”)

Taehyung is the founder of the club. Club meetings are held on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in Mr. Lee’s classroom. “So I don’t have to help with Math Cram,” Mr. Lee says, cheerfully. Mr. Lee’s classroom is decorated with science and inspirational posters that make his other students question Mr. Lee’s sanity, but Taehyung loves. He likes that the kittens believe in him. For about a week and half, Mr. Lee and Taehyung have in depth conversations about Pluto’s planet status with the photos released, the Martian movie, and the discovery of water on Mars, and then another student joins their club.

His name is Seokjin, a pretty upperclassman. Taehyung is a fifteen year old boy, and he uses the word pretty to describe his mom, baby sister, and the occasional flower. He does not call other boys pretty, except in Seokjin's case. It's partially the way Seokjin's tie knot rests against his throat, and his kind mien when Taehyung babbles at him, and it’s partially how Seokjin benevolently wears the flower crown the student body president insisted he wear for class pride and starts a trend. The muscles playing peekaboo through Seokjin's white Oxford and undershirt are very manly, but Taehyung, through his own inadequacy, feels pretty is a better fit.

(Muscles are pretty, too, and Taehyung makes a note to revisit this moment later.)

Seokjin shows up with a magazine dedicated to astrology, and he _smiles_.

Taehyung learns:

  1. He's a Capricorn.

  2. Seokjin is a Sagittarius.

  3. They are polar opposites according to various trusted sources. They wouldn’t last in a romantic relationship due to differing personalities. (“The best example I can give you is -- I like astrology, and you like astronomy,” Seokjin explains wryly when Taehyung pouts.)

  4. But the sex would have been awesome.




He kind of likes astrology.

Seokjin's best friend joins the club two weeks later. Namjoon is accompanied by vicious rumours about his breakdown during a group presentation and Seokjin's apologetic smile. Taehyung barely resists poking the new boy the first few days. Namjoon's hair is glossy but uninspired, his glasses perched unhelpfully on the top of his head, and his eyes are blank. He's a zombie.

(Taehyung is mildly relieved he doesn't find zombies particularly good looking. Only sort of.)

Namjoon doesn't say or do _anything_ , until Taehyung mentions a Greek myth offhand, and then Namjoon doesn't shut the hell up.

It's _awesome._

“He never grew out of his Greek mythology phase,” Seokjin sighs.

Namjoon continues to explain about Orion the Hunter and the star Sirius. Mr. Lee smiles at Namjoon’s enthusiasm while Taehyung thinks he might have to brush up on his Harry Potter to learn more star names. Seokjin, for all that he seems extremely bored, looks more relaxed, and Namjoon starts styling his hair again.

(Taehyung _might_ have a geek crush.)

Jimin doesn't join the astronomy club, but he is in Mr. Lee’s science class, and he's also in the feared and infamous Mr. Kim’s drama troupe. Mr. Lee and Mr. Kim have a rivalry, or _something_ , going on between them that involves a lot of notes that need to be delivered by Jimin.

“You should see them during school hours,” Jimin snickers warmly against Taehyung's ear and _oh._

(Zombies might not be his type, but boys that smell like ginger and have quarks in their souls might be.)

“What?” Taehyung asks, swallowing hard.

Mr. Lee smiles at the note Jimin delivered with amusement and exasperation. The last two times this has happened taught Taehyung that Mr. Lee will spend the rest of club writing a letter back. He doesn’t write the novel that Jimin delivers but a page of characters that might be Cyrillic. Mr. Lee is employed by a rigorous academy. It would make sense if he knew Russian.

“Mr. Kim is--” Jimin shrugs and smiles. “--kind of prissy. He always scoffs and yells when he reads Mr. Lee’s letters. The choir teacher thinks it's funny.”

Taehyung likes Jimin, and he thinks he could (maybe, theoretically, he's just saying) like-like Jimin, and then one day -- the day Taehyung was going to ask Jimin to eat somewhere -- a sulky boy comes to collect Jimin.

“Jimin, Mr. Kim needs you back. Myungsoo and Jinri are fighting,” the boy says.

The sulky boy reminds Taehyung of every male lead from his mom’s dramas. His eyes are unfathomably dark, like that abyss Namjoon tried explaining to everyone last meeting. The boy has earrings that have to be against the dress code, and a dark fringe he jerks to the side with a sharp neck movement. Taehyung can't breathe.

(Okay, he might be gay.)

“But Seokjin is making my horoscope!” Jimin protests.

“You’re Myungsoo’s understudy,” the boy says, aggressively.

Jimin sighs gustily, “I should have joined Astronomy Club.”

“You make sure to tell Mr. Kim that when you give him this,” Mr. Lee beams.

Mr. Lee hands Jimin the letter, and Jimin swivels in his chair with a sigh. Taehyung’s lungs still refuse to work. Taehyung’s new friend makes a noise that’s the bastard love child of chuckle and coo. Jimin rubs his cheek against Taehyung’s, and the breath whooshes back into Taehyung's lungs.

“Yeah. There's an unofficial Jung Jungkook club if you wanna join. I'm president,” Jimin whispers with sympathy.

Taehyung looks at Jimin helplessly.

“ _Jimin,_ ” the sulky boy demands.

On a December Friday, Taehyung enters Mr. Lee’s classroom to see Mr. Lee grading papers -- not abnormal -- and a student wearing a zipper hoodie with the hood pulled over his face and the sleeves past his hands -- a little abnormal. He's asleep on the desk, and only a teal green shows from all that black. Taehyung wants to touch and see if it's as soft as it looks.

(Clearly, Taehyung is all hormones instead of teenage boy. He's attracted to a hair _color._ )

“Who’s that?” Taehyung asks.

“Min Yoongi, one of my juniors,” Mr. Lee says. “He's serving detention with me.”

“Sir. He's asleep.”

“Mr. Kwon has unsavory opinions that Mr. Min and I don’t agree with, so we'll let Mr. Min sleep, agreed?”

“You’re the coolest teacher,” Taehyung admires.

The others show up, and since it’s a Wednesday, Mr. Lee plays _Cosmos_. Taehyung uses the book by Carl Sagan as a pillow. Namjoon reads the occasional Neil deGrasse Tyson tweet out loud. Jimin, the bestest friend ever, cozies himself against Taehyung, while Jimin watches Seokjin creates star charts for Jimin and Jungkook.

“You can prove we’re true love. You’re magic,” Jimin says.

“You might not like what I have to show you,” Seokjin warns, sounding a little like Spider-man whenever responsibility comes up.

Jimin accidentally pushes Taehyung out of his chair when Seokjin gives him the two charts. “I guess I was wrong. You’re almost soul-mates.” Taehyung kicks at Jimin’s ankle. The boy lump that was sleeping groans for quiet. Mr. Lee looks up from his letter writing with concern. “That wouldn’t have happened if you guys were paying attention,” Namjoon huffs.

Jung Hoseok shows up with a broken arm and infectious grin the following Monday. December made the Astronomy Club popular. Min Yoongi is still here, too.

“Hoseok!” Namjoon greets brightly.

“Yo,” Hoseok greets back, and right out the door asks, “How do we all feel about the pyramids of Giza being alien coordinates?”

(Taehyung might be in love.)

“You're nuts. Did you land on your head?” Namjoon demands.

“The universe is a big place,” Seokjin says, noncommittally.

“‘I want to believe,’” Taehyung quotes, stars in his eyes.

Hoseok gives him an odd look while Mr. Lee smiles. The boy lump that masquerades as Min Yoongi snorts, and for the first time, Taehyung seems to be more than teal hair. Yoongi looks up, smirking, and the models on his mom’s books wish they looked so wicked. Oh, oh, _oh!_ Jungkook could probably learn a thing or two from Yoongi. 

“‘The truth is out there,’” Yoongi drawls.

(Taehyung's heart is a fickle thing.)

Taehyung spends the two hours where Hoseok insisted they watch _Ancient Aliens_ covertly watching Yoongi.

Taehyung’s belief in extraterrestrial life is scientific and logical. He believes there’s organisms on other planets that will eventually evolve into higher life forms. He doesn't necessarily believe there’s an alien race that came to Earth to pose as gods. Even Seokjin agrees the universe is vast and infinite, and it's a lonely thought to think humans are in the universe alone. He does think the possibility of aliens is cool.

“This is your fault!” his mom smacks his dad. “ _Star Wars, Star Trek, The X-Files_ … You broke him!”

“Well, you turned him gay,” his dad sulks.

“You're born gay,” his mom smacks again.

“I don't believe in aliens,” Taehyung says on autopilot, “and I like girls. CL is a perfect human being.”

“Son, aliens _are_ real--”

“Oh, honey, we don't care if you're gay. Your dad is just an idiot.”

On Wednesday, Yoongi sits next to Taehyung. His uniform is out of regulation, and his eyes are sleepy. They watch _the X-Files_ on Yoongi's phone while Hoseok, Namjoon, and Seokjin fight about aliens, real science, and astrology.

(Yoongi smells like muted cologne, and he’s warm. He makes Taehyung dizzy.)

“Aliens probably cultivated life on earth,” Yoongi mumbles after an episode. “It's what humans want to do to Mars, right? Humans are the new invaders.”

“Scientists agree third party cultivation is a bad idea,” Taehyung says, eyes wide and heart flip-flopping. “The Prime Directive, you know?”

“The Prime Directive is always broken,” Yoongi says. “Curiosity is unstoppable.”

(Taehyung's heart is going to jump out of chest.)

“Have you seen _Alien_?”

“Depends. Is that an invitation?” Yoongi asks.

Taehyung nods before he can chicken out. Yoongi looks pleased, like a cat, and agrees. He follows Taehyung home, and they watch _Alien_ together. They routinely shush each other and speak over each other. Taehyung’s parents are so shocked, they watch from the kitchen doorway. Taehyung wants to die a little, but Yoongi seems to think it’s funny, and he’s the one to suggest they skip class on Friday to watch the new Star Wars movie.

“You should have asked him to stay for dinner. He’s a cutie,” his mom says.

“But what does he think about the possibility of an _Alien 5_?” his dad asks.

“We made plans to skip school to see a movie,” Taehyung says, desperately. “Don’t you care?”

“Do you need money for your date?” his mom asks.

“Your mom won’t let me skip work, so I won’t run into you and your boyfriend at the theater,” his dad sighs with a glare at Taehyung's mom.

“That’s not the point,” Taehyung says, weakly. “And he’s not my boyfriend. He’s a _friend._ ”

(It _might_ have been a date, but Taehyung feel dumb for not knowing and doesn't ask.)

Extraterrestrials become as vital to Astronomy Club as astrology and Neil deGrasse Tyson and Carl Sagan do. On Mondays, they watch _Ancient Aliens_ and shout at each other. “Kids, I know it sounds like real science,” Mr. Lee says. “But they're wrong. I just can't explain how. They have to be.” On Wednesdays, they watch _Cosmos_ , and they relax with Seokjin's weekly horoscope guides. Fridays, they watch the _X-Files_ and Mr. Lee asks, almost desperately, “You guys know this is fake, right?”

“That's what the government wants you to think,” Yoongi deadpans.

“Mr. Min, were you aware your detention ended a week ago?”

“ _Alien: Covenant_ is being released in 2017,” Yoongi says.

The rest of Astronomy Club pause their conversations to stare at Yoongi. Mr. Lee looks confused. Taehyung beams. They have to finish marathoning the _Alien_ franchise with a tangent of _Predator_ movies, and then finishing the marathon with _Prometheus_. In between all the other franchises they interrupt Alien with, it should be around 2017 when they’re done. Taehyung really likes that Yoongi plans on hanging out with him until then.

(He wishes they were dating.)

“ _Star Trek Beyond_ is coming out soon, too,” Taehyung adds.

The Astronomy Club transfer their gazes of disbelief to Taehyung.

At the end of the month, Mr. Kim's drama troupe is set to perform, and there's extra credit if they go.

“I thought Mr. Kim didn’t like you,” Seokjin says. Seokjin is set to graduate in the spring, and like most upperclassmen, he’s adopted a very fearless attitude. It probably helps that he doesn’t have any classes with Mr. Lee.

“We should support our peers,” Mr. Lee says.

“I like Jimin. I guess,” Namjoon shrugs.

“How much extra credit?” Hoseok asks, shrewdly.

“The play is about aliens,” Mr. Lee answers.

“Can we sit in the front?” Hoseok asks.

They do sit in the front row seats, and they watch the story of how two aliens fall in love and create the Milky Way galaxy. Taehyung watches with mild confusion. The play is like his mom's favorite shows and his dad's favorite shows declaring their undying love for each other and agreeing to create a new genre. For a boy that's been pulled in each direction like he needs to pick a side all his life, he doesn't know how to feel about the aliens' love creating a galaxy. He will admit the audience turnout is impressive, but no one looks as attentive as Mr. Lee.

“Think Jimin wrote this after hanging out with us?” Hoseok stretches across Yoongi and Taehyung to ask Namjoon.

“No,” Yoongi huffs and pushes Hoseok back into his seat. “Mr. Kim did. Mr. Lee helped.”

“I knew him and Mr. Kim were banging,” Seokjin says, smugly. “Mr. Kim is a Libra, and Mr. Lee is a Sagittarius. They’re perfect for each other.”

“Could you make me a chart saying that?” Mr. Lee asks. "Mr. Kim is being very stubborn."

On stage Jimin breaks character to wiggle his eyebrows at Taehyung. Jimin is dressed in a beautiful dress, and Taehyung gives him a thumbs up back. Mr. Kim, a handsome man, rubs his temples from the corner stage. Jungkook scowls and pinches his alien wife. Jinri and Myungsoo finally got along long enough to share mono last week. “I know all of Jinri’s lines and cues,” Jimin explained. “So I get to be Xyloto. Somehow, Jungkook knows all of Myungsoo’s parts, so he he’s acting instead of doing lighting. He’s so cute when he’s nervous.”

“Poor Kibum,” Mr. Lee chuckles.

“Who?”

“Mr. Kim. Pay attention,” Yoongi grunts, and he shoves Hoseok's face away again.

The performance ends with a bang. The stage kiss between Jimin and Jungkook is a surprise real one, and Jungkook pushes Jimin off stage to the hoots and hollers of the audience. Taehyung cheers. Hoseok and Namjoon give standing ovations.

“You’re so embarrassing,” Jungkook tells Jimin, furious and red.

“I'll be your man,” Hoseok says, with so much grease, he could have only learned it from his jock friends. He leans over Jimin, ready to give Jimin a hand up.

“They'd be compatible,” Seokjin declares.

“Everyone is compatible according to you,” Namjoon says.

“We're not,” Seokjin scowls.

Jimin gives Hoseok an obvious once over and grins naughty. Taehyung covers his eyes. Why does his best friend subject him to this?

“For the price of pizza, I'm yours,” Jimin leers.

“I think Hoseok is an alien. They’re no way awful line would work for a human.”

“They are _so_ lame.”

Mr. Lee declares pizza to be a good idea, and he leaves them to invite Mr. Kim. “Since you guys did make asses of him and yourselves.” Mr. Lee, despite his harsh words, seems to be in a good mood. Taehyung wonders if Mr. Lee even knows what a bad mood looks like.

“We should probably invite Jungkook, too.”

“Why not the other drama kids?”

“I don't know them,” Taehyung says, after careful consideration.

Taehyung drags Yoongi backstage. It's eerily empty, like everyone wanted to escape Mr. Kim's infamous temper. It’s weird. Backstages shouldn't be this quiet, unless someone is about to die tragically in a horror movie.

They don't find Jungkook.

They _do_ find Mr. Lee and Mr. Kim.

Mr. Kim is packing a knapsack while Mr. Lee lounges against a table. Taehyung is impressed. Mr. Lee looks like a big cat waiting to pounce.

(It's very attractive.)

“They're human children, Kibum,” Mr. Lee comforts. “They don't understand how important this story is to their galaxy.”

Taehyung blinks and looks at Yoongi. _What._ That’s extremely odd to say. Yoongi doesn’t look at him. Yoongi is looking at the two teachers with a curious expression.

“Jinki, stop trying to calm me down. I don’t want to be calm,” Mr. Kim says.

“Tomorrow night’s performance will be better,” Mr. Lee promises. Mr. Lee reaches out to still Mr. Kim’s frantic movements. The teacher tried packing a _stapler._  Mr. Lee holds the drama teacher’s hands and presses a kiss against their entwined fingers. Taehyung’s eyes go wide. They shouldn’t be watching this. The teachers are obviously having a moment and--

Where Mr. Lee touches Mr. Kim their skin glows opal.

“Worm babies,” Mr. Kim says in disgust.

“You love them,” Mr. Lee says. “It's why I came here. You wouldn't leave them, and I love you.”

“Lies,” Mr. Kim growls and shakes his head. “I’ve been brainwashed. _Obviously._ ”

“Sure you have,” Mr. Lee agrees. “You're still coming with us to get pizza.”

Mr. Kim rolls his eyes, but it's him that leads Mr. Lee away. Their entwined fingers still glowing.

“I believe,” Taehyung says, fervently.

Yoongi shakes his head. “Of course you do,” and when Taehyung looks at him, the expression on Yoongi's face makes his stomach swoop and knot.

Yoongi brings his hands to Taehyung's face to cradle his cheeks. Taehyung's eyes flutter shut. Yoongi's hands are hot, like the summer day Taehyung laid on a dock by the lake and sun dried, and Taehyung melts. It's so chaste, and it shouldn't feel like this. They're just _lips._ He opens his eyes and--

“That was my first kiss,” he says.

Yoongi's hands glow gentle teal against Taehyung's skin.

 


End file.
